The owner of a Mercedes-Benz car in Delhi has dragged the company to the consumer forum over the discolouration of his white vehicle, which he claimed was the result of a manufacturing defect.
The company has rejected the allegation and attributed the discolouration to exposure to harsh conditions and mishandling.
Sumit Viz, in a complaint filed through advocate Krishna Kumar Sharma, told the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission that he had purchased a white Mercedes-Benz E 200 in April 2023 from a dealer in the national capital.
Within six months, Viz claimed his car’s colour had turned pale yellow. The car was repolished after Viz raised the issue with his dealer. A door panel, which was damaged during parking, was also replaced at that time.
Viz claimed his car again got discoloured within a few months, with only the replaced door panel remaining white, and took up the matter with the dealer once again.
“The complainant (Viz) was dismayed to discover the discolouration had reappeared, indicative of spurious/sub-standard paint quality, durability, deficiency of services, and amounting to a manufacturing defect,” the petitioner said, adding that the car has been at the workshop since January 2, 2025.
According to a report submitted by a paint expert engaged by the car dealer, the discolouration appears to be caused by regular washing with hard water and exposure to harsh weather conditions or chemical fumes. Viz refused to accept the report, claiming he owns several other cars whose colours are intact.
Seeking a resolution, Viz approached the consumer commission and sought directions to the company for a refund, a compensation of ₹25 lakh for causing mental agony and ₹5 lakh as litigation cost.
Responding to Viz’s claim, Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd informed the consumer commission that it was the complainant’s “illegitimate tactic” to shift the onus of mishandling the vehicle on the company.
“The only possible and probable reason for any discolouration in the complainant’s vehicle, which is also supported by a third-party paint expert’s report… was only due to the harsh conditions to which the vehicle has been exposed and therefore, the same cannot be termed as a manufacturing defect,” the company said.
On the replaced door’s colour, the company said “it is a general understanding that the paint of a new part is bound to be slightly different from the paint of an older part which has been exposed to harsh conditions”.
The dealer and authorised service centre of Mercedes-Benz cars in Delhi told the consumer commission that it had consistently offered to repaint and polish the car for free, but the complainant kept insisting on a replacement.